Automatic flat-iron.



H. P.' BALL..

AUTOMATIC PLAT IRON..

ArrLIoArIol rILnD snr'r. 27, 1909.

Patented oct. 22, 1912.

2 nnnTs-snnn'r 1.

Inventor Hemg P. Ball,

bs Hls Dttorneg.

H. P. BALM AUTOMATIC FLAT IRON. Arrmonmn funn sur. 21, 1009.

Patented oct.22,1'912.

.IIIIII lever 11 pivotedl at 12 to a fixed portion of Ithe iron.

` tion.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

`:munir Parcs BALL, or rrrrsrIELD, missacmrsnrra; assmnoaro canaux. ELECTRIC corran, A coarom'noir or Naw roux.

AUTGHATIC FLAT-IRON.

Specification of To all 'whom 'it may concern:

-Be it'lmown that I, HENRY P. BALL, a citizen of the` United States, residing at Pittsfield, county of Berkshire, State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Flat- Irons, of which the following is 'a specifica- This invention relates to electrically heated tools such as fiat irons and the like,zand has for its object the provision of a'device of this character inrwhich the electric' ,current is automatically cut off in a simpldandg efficient manner when the tool is -notl in ilse.

One of vthe objects of my invention to provide an electrically heated-tooll in which the current is applied when the :handle ofv the tool is grasped and is automatically cut ofi when the handle is released. .f `Another object of my invention is topprovide a tool of this character-in which the:

circuit will be made and broken with alsnap action as the handle is grasped and released,

'. the arrangement being such thatthere will be no substantial strain upon the hand 'of the operator when the iron is in use.

Other objects of my inventionyiill 'appear inthe course of the following specification' in which I have .shown my invention embodied in concrete form for purposes of illustration.

Referring to the drawings, .Figure 1 rep* resents a perspective viewof my improved fiat iron with the circuit controlling switch closed; Fig. 2 yrepresents a similar View with the circuit-controlling switch open; Figs. 3- and 4 are rear elevations of the iron with the 1 switch respectively clo`sedand opened, the

switch 'mechanism itself being removed.; Figs,- 5 to 10 show the switchmechanism .1n

detail.

Referring to the drawing, ll() represents lthe body of the iron, which maybe con.-

structed and heated in any desired mannen Associated with the handle of this iron 1s a.l

switch is closed, itassumesthe position shown in Figs. 1 and 3. This lever is spring specific construction of the switch, it will Letters Patent.

pressed to the position shown in 4 by means of a spring hereinafter escribed. A stop 13 is arranged, as shown, to limit the movement of the lever and the projection 14 which is formed integral with the handle, provides means for resting the iron on its side without interfering with the lever 11 in its open position. This lever 11 is adaptof the quick make. andbreaktype. `The arrangement of the switch mechanism is such that it rotates in one direction to open vthe circuit and inthe opposite direction to close the circuit, but has a snap action in both directions. The specificmechanism whereby this result-.is carried dut, I` have hown, for purposes of illustration, in Figs.

Referring nowto 5 to 10 for the be seen that the lever 11 is connected with vthe switch mechanism proper by means of a link -22 pivoted to the lever and to the operating arm 23 of the sw tch. This arm 23 is secured tot-he sleeve o drum 24 and so as to operate as one piece. The pin 15 is secured to member 25, so that when the arm '2"'23`is'rdtated the pin 15 rotates therewith.

The pin 15 secured to the member 25 projects through the slot 16 in member 17 for a considerable distance, as shown in Fig. 9,

. so as l'to be vengaged by opposite ends of the spring 21. The member 17 has no rotary movement, -butsimply slides back and forth on the shaft, held against rotation by the lug 18 projecting through a slot in the frame. The lug 18 is on the slot 16 so as to engage either side of the ,V-shaped. projection .19. The member 20, of which the V-shaped projection 19 is a ^part, is Usshaped, as vshown in Figs. 19 and 10, the central pivot .or shaft 27 of the switch passi through Vthe. holes 28 on fo posite sides le this U-shaped member. The -frame 29 which supports theswitch mechanism is likewise Ushaped and is secured in place by screws or bolts which pass through the terminal plug. This frame 29 limits the of the switch blade 31, since a portion 32 f rame` 29 at 33. 34 has one end the holes 30 in the insulating casing 30 'of ratentedoct.- 22,1912. Application led September 27, 1909. ,Serial No. 519,764. Y

2 and v ed to actuate th'eshvitch mechanism which is l v to the member 25 in any desired manner opposite end of v the member 17 from the movement of the member 20 and therefore .of .member 20 is bait into the 'plane of the either side ofthe cross bar 36. The tend` Cil the member 1'? backward toward the dotted going ency oit the spring 21, therefore, is to hold the pin 15 and cross bar 36 ci ll-shaped member 2O tog-ether, while the lng 18 engagging the projection 19 prevents them from together, The switch blade B1 is secured to the member 2U by means ot pins 3'? as shown in 10. f

Referring in general'to the operation oil the switch, it will be seen that the pin 15 is moved bach and orthin the slot 16 as 'the lever 11 is moved bach and itorth `on its pivot, The position or the parts in 5 correspond with 'that in Fig. 3, Assuming now the parts to be in the position shown in 'these two figures; when the operator releases the lever 11 the pin moves toward the position shown in Fig: 6, As it does so, the pin, by 4engaging the edge oi the slot 16, lorces the sliding,` member 1'? in a direction so that the lug1 18 engages the edge of projection 19, thee preventing' the member 20 irom retiirning)` and placing a tension upon the spring 21, 'As the lever 11 contini es to rotate toward the open position, the pin 15 moves onward past the middle oi the slot, at which point the edge or the slot is carved in the reversetdirection and the pin engages the lower side olif the slot, thereby sliding;

line position shown in ll 6, ldhen finally the lever 11 approaches the limit ot its movement, the lug 18 is disengaged from the projection 19,!thereby allowing1 the member 2O to move in response to the spring tension into the position shown in Fig, "l, thereby opening' the switcha ln closing the switch, this cycle ot operation is repeated. During the early part ot the movement oit the lever the switch member is locked and placed under tension. 1n the latter portion ot its movement the switch member is nnloclred thereby operating the switch to either open or close it with a snap action,

lt will be seen that as the lever 11 is rotated toward and trom the handle the switch blade 31 will be rotated correspondingly so as to have snap action las it malres and breaks the circuit on clips '38.

Various m-o dications ol': roy-invention will suggest themselves to those slrilled in the art withont departing from the spirit et my invention, the scope ot which is Set 'orth the annexed claims.

-What l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent ci the United States, is

1, The combination with an electrically heated `dat iron, ci a switch element tor conthe circuit thereof, a pivoted memnoemen ber rotatable toward and trom the handleot the iron, and mechanism tor actuating,1 the switch element in opposite directions with a snap action to malte and brealr said circuit as said member is rotated in opposite directions.

2. The combination with an electrically heated dat iron, oa switch element Ator controlling the circuit thereof, a pivoted membei' rotatable by the hand of the operator toward the handle and spring pressed away trom the handle, and mechanism 'for actuating the switch with a snap action in one direction to malte the circuit as the pivoted member is moved by the hand and in the opposite direction with a snap action as the member is moved by the spring.

3, The combination with an electrically heated dat iron, oi a switch element for controlling the circuit thereof, a pivoted member rotatable toward and from the handle ci the iron and parallel therewith, and mechanism for actuating the switch element to malte and break said circuit as said member is moved in opposite directionsa il. Filhe combination with an electrically heated dat iron, oi a switch element 'lor controlling the circuit thereof, mechanism controlled by the hand et the operator in grasping the handle ot the iron for actuating said element in opposite directions with a snap action to maire and brealr said circuitJ 5, rThe combination with an electrically heated dat iron, or a switch element tor controlling the circuit thereof, a pivoted member movable toward and trom the handle of the iron and parallel therewith, and mechanism -for actuating1 the switch element in opposite directions with a snap action 'to-malte and break said circuit-as .said member is moved in opposite directions a 6. lhe combination with an electrically heated dat iron, of a switch element 'lor controlling the circuit thereol, a pivoted member movable by the hand o'lZ the operator toward the handle and spring pressed away trom the handle, and mechanism lor 'actuating the switch element with a snap action in one direction to maire the circuit as the pivoted member is moved byhand and in the opposite direction with a snap action as the member is moved by the spring.

7. The combination with an electrically heated :dat iron, ci alswitch element -for controlling the circuit thereof, a pivoted member rotatable 'toward the handle ot the iron by the hand oi Ythe operator and springP pressed away trom the handle, and mechanism tor operating the switch element with a snap action to maire and brealr said circuit asrsaid member is moved in opposite directions., .Y

8. llhe combination with an electrically heated latiron, ot a snap switch in the heater circuit secured thereto, a, member movably mounted so as to be engaged by the hand ofthe operator for movement t0- ward and from the handle, and Connections between Jthe Switch andsaid member Whereby the switch s opened und closed with a Snap movemenJ by opposite movements of the member.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 20th day of September, 1909.

HENRY PRICE BALL.

Witnesses:

JAS. S. SMYSER, FREDERICK M. VOGEL. 

